Bedtime Stories
by Keynn
Summary: Collecting couples – and writing one-shots for them; started over at tumblr, posting here also. Ch.1 GrimmIchi; Ch.2 ShinHina; Ch.3 AiKiri; Ch.4 ShuNao; Ch.5 KenShuu; Ch.6 IchiHime
1. In the Library - GrimmIchi

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**In the Library**

_GrimmIchi_

In the week before finals the library had a policy of running twenty-four hours, complete with a coffee shop which also remaned open and a rotating staff of whom were available for consultation should it be needed.

Ichigo was putting all three commodities to use, as this happened to be his senior year before graduate school and he'd be damned if a bad grade in his final semester was going to fuck up his chances of getting in.

He'd found himself a nice secluded corner on the third floor – a floor which was rarely used during the day and nearing Chernobyl-vacancy now. All but one person who'd shown up about an hour after himself and found a seat, oddly enough, in the same secluded corner; he was a blue-haired punk of a guy named Grimmjow who Ichigo recalled seeing in his biology class, although always asleep and never with a pencil. Even now it didn't look like he was studying; he was tipped back in his chair, throwing a ball into the air, his backpack and the contents once there-in spread haphazardly on the table beside him. The rhythmic dull thunk of Grimmjow catching the ball resonated in the silent area the two occupied, occurring every couple of seconds. At first the sound had irritated Ichigo, but now he was glad for it. He wasn't particularly keen on being isolated up here alone, but he had no desire to go downstairs where everyone and their mom had gathered and chattered, pretending to study and talking about the content but making no progress and ultimately achieving nothing. That had been Ichigo his freshman year, and after failing two classes and having to retake them, plus his dad's over-exagerated rants about the cost of university and his deceased mother's thoughts on the matter he'd finally whipped himself into shape. So no, he'd stay up here and be glad that Grimmjow was also here, whether he was studying or not.

For a couple hours after that the two were silent. Ichigo had made it through the content of a medical journal and was moving to a second when the scraping of chair legs on the ground drew his eyes to the other guy.

"Yo." Said Grimmjow when he caught Ichigo's eyes, grinning wickedly. "I'm gonna go get some coffee. You want some?" Ichigo watched him for a minute, then tossed his pencil on the book in front of him, stretching his arm over his head.

"Yeah," He muttered, scowling at his work load. "If you wouldn't mind?" Grimmjow grinned again, waving him off and heading toward the main aisle which lead toward the stairs.

"Sure, whatever. I'll be back in a minute."

Ichigo stood up and made his way down another aisle, picking out a book he thought would be useful, and straightening out his stiff limbs as he did so. He picked up two books on cell study and was looking for a third when he heard the footsteps of Grimmjow's return. Finding the third book he headed back toward the corner to meet the other male.

Grimmjow set the coffee on Ichigo's table and then pulled up a chair, turning it around he threw his leg over it to straddle the back and folded his arms over the top of it. Ichigo sat back down in his chair, placing his books to the side.

"So, you're some sort of overachiever?" Grimmjow asked, taking a sip from his coffee. Ichigo picked up the one ordered for him, glad for the warmth it put into his fingers.

"Something like that I guess." Ichigo replied. "Or just a normal student. You've been in here almost as long as I have, but other than taking your stuff out, I haven't seen you actually do any studying."

"I was looking for my ball." Grimmjow grinned, by way of explaining the mess he'd made of the contents in his bag. It was kind of a predatorily grin. It reminded Ichigo of a cat who was about to do something its owner would be displeased to discover later.

"Hn." was Ichigo's reply, and he took a sip of the coffee. "Thanks by the way."

"Whatever." the grin was still there.

"So you're not going to study then, I take it?" Ichigo asked, mostly out of curiosity. Grimmjow laughed.

"I didn't come here to study."

If nothing else had surprised Ichigo during their conversation that statement had. He sat back for a minute, studying the man across from him. He was casual, entirely too familiar for having only just spoken to Ichigo this one time sense the beginning of the semester, but it wasn't awkward. It didn't feel uncomfortable and the attention wasn't really unwanted. Mostly it was just perplexing. Ichigo could quite figure out what the guy wanted. Obviously he had motives. People like Grimmjow either have motives or they don't give a shit and they're simply not there.

"What did you come here for?" Ichigo asked. At this Grimmjow looked at him more intensely than he had before, and Ichigo saw for the first time the darkness in his electric eyes – starring, it seemed, through none of the barriers people usually put around them. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Can't remember really," He said and Ichigo was thinking of a response when Grimmjow continued: "but I stayed 'cause I found you."

"What?"

"I found you, didn't really expect to, you don't look like the kind of guy who crams, but you're here, so I thought 'hell, might as well stay for awhile' and I did."

Of all the unintelligent things Ichigo probably could have gone for instead, he ended up settling on the generic 'oh.' Which Grimmjow didn't comment on; and having the awkwardness now present itself Ichigo turned away from the blue-haired man, and turned to his books again. For the next forty minutes he worked with the knowledge that Grimmjow was essentially just watching him, sipping coffee, and messing with the papers Ichigo wasn't using.

"Alright!" Ichigo cracked, setting down his pencil again. "What do you want?" Grimmjow's grin returned. "You're making it hard to study." Ichigo clarified.

"I do that." Grimmjow said, and he tipped the legs on his chair forward, the space between he and Ichigo was all but gone, and if Ichigo's chair hadn't been situated so that the back was almost against the far wall, he might have backed up. "My ex always got annoyed when I sat around while she was studying. There wasn't much time for studying with me around." It was a really sexy grin, Ichigo decided, and he was a little disappointed that Grimmjow referred to his ex as female. It was a small train of thought though. Clearly, the guy was bi. And no sooner had the conclusion been processed in his mind when Grimmjow stood up and closed the gap.

It was a fucking fantastic kiss. Grimmjow's hands immediately went to his hair, running through the tendrils and scrapping pleasingly over his scalp. Ichigo could understand perfectly why his ex hadn't got much studying down. It wasn't a hard concept. Grimmjow bit at his bottom lip, and Ichigo could feel his fingers curl on the wood of the table.

"You're sexy as hell you know that?" Grimmjow grinned, pulling away, leaving Ichigo breathless and most of the stuff he'd been memorizing lost to his thoughts, and then returning to his lips. Ichigo couldn't even think coherently enough to be offset by the fact that Grimmjow and he didn't even really know one another.

Most of the studying was delayed for Ichigo, ignored for Grimmjow, and on the floor below them students milled about in a frantic haze to memorize facts and figures before the tests began.

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_Cross posted on tumblr, and written as a request for requests. :P My first time ever doing GimmIchi, or yaoi to any actual extent other than implied and then my one KenShu story. Tell me how you think I did!_


	2. My Fukutaichou - ShinHina

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**My Fukutaichou**

****_ShinHina (Shinji x Momo)_

_Summary: Shinji is adjusting to the Soul Society he is now a part of, and trying to connect with his new fukutaichou in a way which he was never able to with the last._

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The girl was deceptively sweet.

Deceptively sweet and prone to long periods of silence, one words responses and one sentence question. All of which were stark in contrast to what Shinji'd had to deal with in the Vizard's warehouse. He was only just now discovering how much more he liked the constant noise as apposed to this near deafening silence.

Given that the relationship he shared with Aizen was strained on the best of days and always flowing with an undercurrent of hostility, Shinji was not readily enthusiastic with the way in which Hinamori and he interacted. It was too familiar. Having that kind of relationship with her seemed false and all so very wrong. It was wearing on his nerves.

About the only thing that wasn't cutting Shinji's nerves about her was that she also happened to be very, very good at paperwork. Which was a blessing in disguise given that after one hundred years of not having to deal with it, Shinji's tolerance for the never ending flow of office-grade sheets was now nearly non-existent.

Still, what do you do with a fukutaichou like Hinamori Momo who smiled every time she caught someone's eyes, but never before that moment and only briefly after it'd passed?

"I don't even know if she likes me." Shinji muttered, dropping his chin onto the table in front of him. His companions were the vizards who'd followed his lead back to Soul Society, and each of them were facing their own problems, but there were really no fast connection made after so long spent away from the place that was once home, so when the problems accumulated, they usually chose a night and all went to get shit-faced drunk. Which is what this night had become about.

Kensei stared passed Shinji passively from the side. His head resting in his palm. Shinji ventured a glance backwards and noted that Hisagi-fukutaichou was at the bar with some other co-workers.

"You're not the only one with fukutaichou problems you know." Kensei stated. Shinji chuckled at his friend's pain, and was completely aware that, not unlike Hinamori, Hisagi Shuuhei had also adopted the annoying tendency of not talking in the presences of his captain. Though, to Hisagi's credit, the habit was not grown out of a deep distrust for everyone and everything he'd once held dear to him.

"Hn..." Shinji sighed thoughtfully. His companions caught the noise and all looked toward him. "That problem's all yers," He told Kensei, and then pushed his chair out and stood up. "I'm goin' home."

"It's your night to pay!" Kensei yelled at him as he danced out of the bar.

"Next time!" Was Kensei's response, drifting through the closing door of the entrance.

The next day found Hinamori sitting in the office, brush in hand, tongue slightly poking out of her mouth as she worked. It was an expression Shinji had seen on every female officer who'd ever had to do the finance report. And having the finance report come into the office was also a perfect reason to have Shinji drag Hinamori out of it.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou." He stated pleasantly, strolling up to her desk and placing his hands on its surface. Momo glanced up and smiled cutely.

"Yes sir?" She asked, and despite the expression, the smile, the kindness, her words bordered on hollow.

"Accompany me to the ninth division." Shinji prided himself on having the uncanny ability of giving orders without making them sound like commands. He grinned at her and all his teeth showed. Momo stood up, setting her pen down in the ink bottle.

"Okay." She said, because he knew that she knew that it was not a request.

They strolled down the corridors of the other divisions in silence mostly. Despite his efforts, Momo stayed two paces behind him and slightly to his right. When he slowed down she did too until they were walking at a snail's pace and she was still dutifully behind him. Sighing, Shinji stuck his hands in the sash of his hakama and looked blankly up at the cloudy sky.

"Yer not very talkative are ya?" He asked absently. Hinamori stiffened behind him, and when she noticed that he wasn't stopping quicken her pace to get back to her original position.

"Well I..." She began, stopped for a moment, and then continued: "I just want to be a good fukutaichou."

"Yer a good fukutaichou Momo. If ya weren't ya wouldn't be here." Shinji turned to look at her, grinning. Heat rised to Momo's cheeks. "Ya know, Hisagi won't even look Kensei in the eye. Kensei's a pretty intimidating guy so I get it, but he was also really dedicated to that squad a hundred years ago, so now that his fukutaichou can't even trust him it get's to him. That's why we're goin' over there by the way." Momo blushed a pretty pink and then jumped a few paces to walk beside him. It was a desired jump and Shinji was happy for it.

"Shuuhei-san is completely devoted to Muguruma-taichou!" She objected, her eyes were wide with the shock that Kensei might have thought otherwise.

"That so?" Shinji asked. Momo nodded her head vehemently.

"Yes, Shuuhei-san just doesn't know how to act around Muguruma-taichou. He talks about it sometimes when he goes out drinking ... but its Shuuhei-san's business." And then she stopped talking about it. Shinji nodded, throwing his arm around her shoulder now that she was close enough. She stiffened under the weight and was obviously uncomfortable. The color didn't fade from her cheeks.

"What about you Momo?" He asked. "Do you not know how to act around me? Or is it somethin' else..." Momo stopped looking at him, she seemed to almost shut down. He squeezed her shoulder a bit. "Ya know, Aizen was my fukutaichou before all this, and I had a feelin' but no one knew. I was the closest thing to him at the time, and all I ever had was a feelin'." He looked down at her, caught her eye, and grinned where all his teeth were showing. "Sometimes all we have are feelin's." There was a moment of silence and he dropped his arm. "Ah ha! We're here, lets go try an' sort out this Kensei/Hisagi mess." He winked at her and then strolled ahead. Momo could feel the tears at her eyes but even as they fell she found herself laughing softly.

On the Friday of the following week Shinji could get Momo to communicate in full conversations, which was a very pleasant achievement and was only one of two good things that came within that week. He'd also gotten the finance report turned in.

Given that the alcohol intake of the eighth division had been insurmountably high, the first division hadn't even bothered to contact them on their overage spending, which had been used to renovate the barracks at Shinji's request. Small blessings.

The only bad thing of the day had been the downpour of rain which had been brewing overhead for the better part of the last two weeks. Shinji shrugged it off and grabbed an umbrella as he headed out of the office for the evening, on his way to the bar to talk with Kensei about the man's own progress with his (now mildly overly-attached) fukutaichou.

He was drifting through the fifth division's gardens when he saw Momo darting toward the barracks. He caught her just as she'd made it past a path of tulips, holding the umbrella over her head despite the water having already seeped through her clothing.

"Evenin'" He grinned pleasantly.

"Taichou!" She jumped, and then he heard her laugh, it was the first time she'd done so.

It kind of reminded him of bells, and then he remembered Kira making the comment that her zanpakuto spirit's hair held bells and that her laugh sounding like bells kind of made sense in that it made almost no sense at all. Everything was backwards. Shinji loved it.

"I got caught in the rain," She said by way of explanation pink rising in her face, though both could see clearly what had happened. "I wasn't really expecting it."

"'Course not." Shinji grinned, winking. He stepped a little closer, his other hand resting pleasantly in his pocket and offered her the comfort that he knew was badly needed on rainy days ... and during bad memories. "Come on," He said "I'll walk with ya."

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_ As was requested by an anon. :P_


	3. Deception - AiHiki

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**Deception**

****_AiKiri (Aizen x Kirio Hikifuno); Mild ShiYori_

_Summary: Shinji tells the tale of Sousuke Aizen's one experience with love to Hiyori_

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It was a particularly rainy Sunday afternoon when Shinji found himself, for the first time since resigning his captaincy, playing host to story time; for the amusement of one short-tempered foul-mouthed blonde. The intention, of course, had not actually been to start up a story time. Rather, the (presumably) quick withdrawal from his room had been made with the ideal that he'd be back momentarily with a sandwich or other food-like substance to continue his all-day appreciation of the records he so loved. Unfortunately, Hiyori and he were the only two currently at home, and a bored Hiyori either needed to be entertained or sedated to avoid bodily injury. As Shinji was fresh out of tranquilizers, when Hiyori cornered him between the couch and the stair case, only one option truly remained … and Shinji knew, with particular certainty, that whatever Hiyori might say, she couldn't resist a good story.

Especially if that story involved her first captain.

The tale was an odd one, missing bits of information here and there that Shinji could not sew together; caused by either his absence at the time of the event, or more probably, Aizen's alteration of the true nature of occurrences.

After all, one of the most notoriously evil men in the seven realms of life (and those that followed it) would be at a serious disadvantage if his affairs in love were widely known. Or if it had been known at all that he'd been in love.

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Hikifune Kirio had not been part of the plan.

This irked Aizen in ways only Yamamoto had been able to accomplish before – a need for perfectly laid traps and a willingness to do whatever was necessary whenever it was necessary had been blocks which Aizen built his life, and afterlife, upon. But this one woman was like a wrecking-ball, come to reek havoc on his carefully crafted plots. He watched silently as she floated into the twelfth division compound, Sarugaki following closely behind. When they disappeared he returned his attention back to Shinji – the grinning man ventured a glance at his lieutenant – Aizen could almost see the smirk grow a fraction.

"Pretty thing right?" The blonde said idly. "I've never seen that expression on yer face before; is this a new development?" Aizen smiled politely, the light of the sun catching his glasses as he did so. Shinji turned forward once more and frowned ever so slightly, no liking the idea at all of Aizen directing his sights to the twelfth's captain. Surly, whatever took place where she was concerned would also concern Hiyori by association.

Aizen vanished that afternoon, to consult Gin, and ran across Hikifune, unexpectedly, as he was weaving between the divisions.

"Sosuke-san." She said, by way of greeting. The woman had the uncanny ability to conceal all signs of hostility or camaraderie – which was probably how she'd climbed so effectively to captain class. Aizen was not naive to the benefits having such a person around presented, and it was in those very brief seconds of their encounter that Aizen decided she must be added to his arsenal. Gin was nice to have around, but would ultimately betray him. Tousen was expendable. This woman though, if he could sway her to his side, his victory was assured before the fighting would even begin.

"Captain Hikifune." He smiled, "what brings you here?" There was a tension born of neither wariness nor attraction between them. Emitted by personality and disposition. Hikifune grinned.

"Work of course." She said, and walked away with nothing left to say.

Over the course of two years Aizen had effectively attracted Hikifune. Part of it was with illusions, part of it was with intellect and the promise of something disconnected to work. On the night of the eighth of January Aizen brought her to the secluded woods where his experimenting had been taking place and told her things he'd rarely shared with any one person.

"You must be kidding." Hikifune warned, her eyes flashing, but the hostility was not there. She was playing him and he didn't know.

"I will become Soul King." Aizen said evenly, a smile on his face, he looked different somehow, the pleasantness drifting from his face. "Help me." Everything in his tone demanded it, but Hikifune was never so easily persuaded. She'd been in love with the monster this man had become, and now it was her turn to destroy him.

"I won't." Hikifune said evenly. "You're mad."

It was then, Aizen noted with hidden animosity, that he knew; Hikifune Kirio had never been part of the plan. Even when he'd decided to attempt to insert her into it. The plan had been laid without her, and no amount of kissing, sneaking or sex would change that.

He'd meant to kill her then, but the unwanted feelings stopped his sword for the fraction of a second it took Kirio to register the threat in the way his hand twitched.

"You made a mistake in giving me this information Sosuke." Then she was all but gone. Aizen stood very still, smiling slightly to mask the murder in his eyes.

––––

The sudden relocation to squad zero had affected Hiyori the most when it had happened. The young lieutenant had been all but murderous in the aftermath, taking out frustration and sorrow in the form of violence onto Shinji, and he grinned and bared it like he always did, but Shinji was more observant than his grieving friend, and he did not miss the cold undertone is Aizen's eyes when the news had first been announced. It was the only time that look had ever been given before or sense.

––––––

"I figure Aizen was 'specially glad when you showed up ta find Kensei and Mashiro." Shinji said, Hiyori's face was a perfect mask of fury. "No better way ta deal with heartbreak than to kill the surrogate kid of the one who did it to ya." He stopped then, bringing up memories they'd agreed not to share. "Anyway, the end." Shinji grinned. Hiyori punched him in his face harder than she'd done in a very long time and the shuffled off toward her room. Slamming the door closed behind her.

It hadn't really been intentional to upset her, but Shinji should have known it was going to happen, given the nature of the story, so it was only right that he go and try to apologize now.

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_As was request by Aihiki on Tumblr. :3  
_


	4. Never Was - ShuNao

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**Never Was**

_ShunNao_

_Summary: Nanao is a creature of habit … and occasional impulse. _

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At midnight on November 4th Nanao found herself sitting on the floor of the office of the eighth division. As was tradition for her. Her hair was disheveled from the time spent around her quarters after work but before now, her shinigami robes had been replaced with nightwear and her glasses, although with her, had been taken off and now rested on her desk across the room. The windows were open because it was cool outside and Nanao would be the first to admit that without air flow the office got stuffy, and although she tolerated this during work hours because she felt like it reminded her that work was important even if mild uncomfortableness needed to be there to solidify that fact, this was a special occasion and so the windows were open.

As a whole, the entirety of her actions at this moment were atypical, but this was one hour of atypicality, so she lay back onto the cold ground and muttered an incantation for kido. Purple reiatsu licked her skin and danced away and she let it go. It flowed freely across the floor, like sitting beside a stream, relaxed in ways which reiatsu usually wasn't when it was let out for battle. Nanao breathed deeply, glad for the isolation and the tranquility that came with not having to constantly suppress spiritual energy, and finished the spell. Usually, this kido was used by the stealth squad in order to peak through walls to their targets. It was a hidden technique outlawed outside of the second division, but Nanao spent an enormous amount of time in the circulating libraries of the Roukongai where the owners constantly picked up books Nanao was almost positive the Gotei 13 wasn't aware existed. She'd learned this particular spell when she was only just a new recruit and had used it in the bunks that were occupied by the younger members of the squads, of which, at the time, she'd been the only one.

The roof she'd been staring at seemed to vanish into the purple circle of kido which appeared; the stars bright and visible behind it, thought to Nanao they were only pin points of light on a black screen, slightly fuzzy to her exposed eyes. They twinkled and vanished, as stars do, to reappear moments later. Occasionally a thin cloud moving fast enough would block them momentarily and then vanish as well.

Because November tended to be very cold and Nanao didn't want to risk someone seeing her so late at night doing things peculiar of her character, stargazing from the eight's offices had become something of a norm on this particular day of the year. It was convenient because her taichou also tended to be gone, and she knew with almost certainty that giving her Taichou the idea that walls could be removed would boost his incentive to test her patience every chance which presented itself. And it wasn't that she didn't want that, sometimes she could think of nothing else, it was just that her life had always been lived with a plan, and that plan had once included a taichou, but not a friend of that taichou (which is what they had become, and which defied her plans) and certainly nothing more. Because Nanao knew that she had spoiled herself, and that she couldn't give up what they had now, so she was not going to be able to give up what she finally allowed herself to have if ever that happened.

Nanao was a selfish person, and she knew this.

Selfishness is what had made this day so special.

Her nightwear consisted of articles of human apparel Rangiku had bought her. They were the least tackiest of the things which Rangiku had returned with, and Nanao wore them so often that she had successfully put a hole through the sleeve on the right side. Black flannel shorts and a silky dark pink long-sleeved shirt. Rangiku had claimed it was the most modest thing she'd ever picked up in a store, but she didn't think Nanao would take anything else. Which was true, because given Hinamori-san's face when Nanao had asked her what Rangiku had purchased her was enough to convince Nanao that whatever Rangiku's taste in style was, it was not compatible with her own.

Nanao was smiling at the memory when the door at the far wall slid open. The noise was very quite, but Nanao hadn't been expecting anyone or anything, more importantly, she hadn't wanted anyone or anything to see her or know she was here at all. She bolted up, clamping down on the reiatsu which had still been flowing freely, it came back in an uncomfortable rush, swirling like a storm over seas but she ignored the feeling and the inner-discomfort.

Shunsui closed the door behind him just as silently as he'd opened it. He looked the same, mostly, minus the hat – which was to be expected because there was no reason to have it at night. He'd obviously been out drinking, but was likely more sober than not. It was early for a night of drinking, and Kyoraku-taichou had built up quite a tolerance to alcohol, it took a rather large amount for him to even get buzzed. Unlike the stars, Nanao could see him perfectly, and her mortification rose on her cheeks until she was sure they were bright red. She jumped up, grabbing her glasses off of her desk at the same time as she waved with her other hand to vanish the kido which had previously been putting a hole through their ceiling.

"Taichou!" She stiffened. "Good evening..."

"Lovely Nanao-chan." He smiled, looked around briefly, and then back to her. "You've been hiding clothes from me? I've never seen these!" Normality had been restored momentarily.

"Of course not, I wouldn't wear them to work." She said evenly, taking the opportunity to compose herself. "That wouldn't be inappropriate, and this is also inappropriate. I should leave." She made to move past him, but he hadn't moved away from the door frame, and given how large he was the only escape had been blocked.

"Nanao-chan, I came to make sure you were alright." He said, and his eyes flashed with concern. Nanao made her confusion known.

"I'm fine sir." She said.

"Your reiatsu was all over the place." He explained. "I could feel it out in the Rukongai." Nanao could have smacked herself. She'd completely forgotten about the barrier. How could she have forgotten something so pivotal? She'd been all out of sorts for the past week, work had been hellish and it left no time for book reading or relaxation. It must have been the stress that was leaving her so frazzled, because on any normal day Nanao could handle anything, and then some, but this excursion went against her normal plans and schedules and in all likelihood, it had probably just thrown her off.

"I'm sorry sir, that was a result of poor preparation."

"What are you doing in the office so late Nanao-chan? Why don't you go home?" He seemed genuinely concerned, and Nanao felt bad because he'd probably left all of his drinking partners to come see about her over a problem that was no problem at all. The least she could do was offer him the truth.

"I always come to the office on this day sir, ever since I became fukutaichou." She said, crossing her arms stiffly. She didn't quite feel herself, which was the only way to describe her feelings right now, and it was even worse because she couldn't seem to restrain her emotions like she could do in the waking hours, and she wanted their banter to return so that she could at least grab a book and smack him, and that would give her the perfect reason to beat a hasty retreat, but she couldn't do that either. He was all encompassing and warm in a way which made her realize just how cold she'd been before he arrived. And on top of all of this, the storm of reiatsu that usually swirled within her when he was around was intensified by the fact that she'd only just recently forcibly shoved it back down into her soul. Everything felt uncomfortable.

Kyoraku-taichou seemed genuinely confused by her confession. He made his way to the couch and flopped down, his haoris fanning out around him, and patted the cushion beside him. Nanao sighed and then followed him over, sitting on the far side, as far away from him as possible. She had a feeling that if he touched any part of her skin he'd feel the storm that was raging beneath it.

"Won't you tell me Nanao-chan?" He asked. She glared at the address and he chuckled.

"In the human world, in certain parts of the western civilization, they have a concept called daylight savings time. It's a newer idea, only slightly younger than myself." She said, and when her taichou nodded his understanding of the event she said; "on the fourth day of November they gain an hour. They move from midnight to one in the morning, and then jump back to midnight and relive that hour again. As shinigami our perception of time is very skewed because of our longevity, but still, the idea of a whole hour ceasing to exist has always fascinated me."

"Lovely Nanao-chan, what do you do with your hour?" Shunsui asked, staring at her until she was forced to stare forward to avoid his gaze.

"Everything I don't allow myself to do when the flow of time is normal again. Of course, time is a human concept and the flow of time is always normal, no matter where you are. It's childish, the whole notion." She said, she was sitting ramrod and she adjusted her glasses to give her something to do with her hands. Shunsui chuckled lightly, the sound reverberating through the room.

"So once a year my lovely Nanao-chan uses forbidden kido and releases her reiatsu and wears pretty night-clothes-" he picked up a strand of her hair, letting it fall through his fingers "and lets down her hair, and never tells her taichou?" Nanao's eyes found particular interest in the wall parallel to them and her back was so straight it was almost painful. Before Nanao could stand up and flee as she wanted to, his lips were at her ear. "your hour is not up Nanao-chan, what will you do with these last few minutes?" he whispered. Nanao turned to face him, thinking of a response, but not quick enough. His lips connected with hers, and as she suspected a pleasant jolt passed through their skin, the entirety of the storm she was trying to suppress exposed to his lips, and she could feel the calm current of his own reiatsu pass through her. He chuckled against the kiss, his hand still running through her hair, her glasses knocked askew but her eyes were closed, she discovered, and so it didn't matter. She found one of her hands somewhere in the folds of his uniform and she couldn't remember putting it there, or whether it was there to keep him still and in place or to push him away. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be goofy and overly flamboyant, it was supposed to be easy to keep him at bay because he wasn't supposed to be serious. And now she wanted this, this thing that she couldn't have, that she'd, for so long, kept away. This was all such a foolish tradition, she should have known better; should have known that sooner or later someone would find her and it would all vanish, but impulse was a human desire and Nanao spent endless days being proper. She pushed him away.

"The hour is over taichou." She said softly, standing and adjusting her glasses. She nodded once, and then b-lined for the door.

Shunsui chuckled as she left, because time never stopped for beings as old as them, and no matter the logic behind the hour that never was, the actions that took place therein always would be. And because Shunsui had felt the hurricane brewing inside his beautiful fukutaichou who looked as calm as the beach it would soon hit, and he was excited for that day.

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_As requested by an anon on tumblr. :3_


	5. A Normal Night - KenShuu

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**A Normal Night**

_KenShuu_

_Summary: Sparring and conversing, alcohol, confessions and well needed advice. A typical weekend start off, with some atypical exceptions – namely the subject of new taichous and their unexpected appearance. _

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It's not as easy as it should perhaps be. Standing in a position to kill and having metal pressed against his flesh, too. This man is his captain, but years of deceit and anger and worship and fear bubble up beneath that flesh and he simply cannot trust anyone, not even himself.

"Kid," Says his captain, gruff in memory and meditation, gruff in everything. "it's over."

Practice sessions between vice-captains and captains are not rare events (though certainly uncommon). However, they are also not commonly viewed or widely known among lower members of a division either. They are simply aesthetic momentous of the bond all vice-captains share with their captains, and sometimes it works in reverse, too ... but not always. Since Muguruma-taichou's reinstatement two months ago, he and Hisagi had been participating in swordplay every other evening, just after midnight when Hisagi leaves the communications building and meets his captain on the training field behind the division barracks.

This is the first time they have come up as a draw, and it is exhilarating and terrifying to Hisagi – he has only just now realized how little faith he has in his new captain. He knows this because he cannot withdraw his sword from his captain's neck, it's biting into the flesh there, bleeding a tiny bit, but nothing more. Held by a rigidness Hisagi has not been able to relax out of since Tousen's departure. It is a horrifying revelation for Shuuhei. Other division heads, the eighth division, or perhaps the tenth can spare and draw on occasions and simultaneously withdraw their swords when the outcome has become obvious. (Of course, draws only come up when a captain is being particularly lax, there are few who are truly brutal toward their subordinates) Ise-fukutaichou retreats immediately, when her kido is at Kyoraku's abdomen. Rangiku-san has been known to toss her zanpakuto to the ground in a very undignified manner when she has over-powered Hitsugaya-taichou, and then trap him in her arms with squeals of delight. There was a time when Shuuhei would come up with a draw against Tousen-taichou and drop his hands immediately in order to bow.

It is disgraceful now that Muguruma-taichou must drop his weapon first – the steel of his small knife if pressed, flat-edged, above his heart – he withdraws his hand and grabs Hisagi's blade with the other.

"Drop it." He says, but it is a command now, the first command he's given in any of their practices together. Shuuhei relaxes reluctantly, his zanpakuto dangles at his side, Kazenshini screaming in his head that this could be a trap and _kill the bastard, kill them all!_

"Sorry," Says Shuuhei. It is the kind of apology a dead man gives his loved ones, the sincere kind that promises nothing.

"Go home kid," Says Kensei, nods once, sheaths his zanpakuto, and walks in the direction of the division gates. It's Friday and Hisagi can bet that his new captain is headed toward a bar.

Shuuhei sighs, putting away his own zanpakuto – Kazenshini is still howling displeasure in his head – and walks out through the front entrance of the division. Rangiku and Kira are waiting there for him, Rangiku is holding a jug of sake and Kira is waving toward Momo, who is, shockingly, dragging a rather disgruntled Ise-san. She's not a usual participant in their Friday nights, but she's been around Momo a lot lately, and has become somewhat of an addition to their group. Hisagi doesn't mind, she's got a sharp mind and a love of literature he can appreciate.

"Hello Momo, Ise-san." He greets when they arrive.

"Nanao-chan!" Rangiku grins, trapping the smaller woman in her chest.

"Shall we?" Kira gestures vaguely in the direction of the Rukongai, Renji is already there Hisagi figures, pulsing reiatsu to give them a location where the captains are not. It's been a common practice for Momo, Kira and Hisagi to avoid their new taichous outside of work since their reinstatement.

"Yes!" Rangiku shouts, and shunpos off, the others follow.

"Are you well Hisagi-fukutaichou?" Ise-san asks as they flash toward the bar district.

"You can call me Shuuhei," Says Shuuhei with a grin, he knows she won't, just like she hasn't offered to let him call her Nanao, but he feels like one day she might. She smiles slightly – she doesn't smile much ever – to let him know she understands, but makes no promise.

"Are you well?" She repeats. He doesn't say much there, "Taichou troubles?" She guesses.

"Something like that, how'd you know?"

Ise-san gestures lightly to Momo, who is talking animately with Kira. He knows that's only part of it. Ise-san is one of the most observant people he knows, a gift she has probably inherited from her deceptively vigil taichou, and it doesn't take much to notice his thinly veiled discomfort around Muguruma-taichou. She adjusts her glasses and they both land outside of a bar. It suddenly dawns on him, and he switches the topic briefly.

"You're our designated babysitter." He laughs. Ise-san glares hard at him over her glasses and he has the good sense to shut up.

"After Momo's breakdown in front of Hirako-taichou last week she wanted someone to prevent such events occurring again; she fears she has humiliated herself beyond repair, and doesn't want that for you or Izuru-san." She states at length.

Ah, so that's it.

"Well, since you're here, might as well take advantage of your advising skills." Hisagi says as they walk into the bar, Renji waves from a table not too far away where they immediately b-line. Hisagi thinks mildly that this is probably the largest gathering of fukutaichous in a significant amount of time in one room where meetings were not being conducted. They sit down and get started on putting a dent in the tab. Ise-san has been gracious enough to put it all on her taichou's wallet and knows this is because he splurged on new furniture for their common room last week that put a dent in the budget that would have everybody in the eighth eating lean for a week – that is, if Nanao hadn't alternatively decided to scrap the sake allowance for two. Kyoraku-taichou _had_ been looking rather haggard for a couple days now that he thought about it.

"What would you like advising on?" Nanao asked when he'd made it through two cups. She was drinking tea from a small pot closest to her, looking rather uncomfortable. He felt for her, truly did, but couldn't beat back the selfishness that perhaps she was the best one to talk to, as she was not plagued by the ghosts everyone present excluding Renji where, and honestly, Renji was a bit of a bonehead at times.

"I thought about killing my taichou tonight." Hisagi muttered, his gaze shifted to Momo who was laughing and smiling and clutching a cup of sake – Momo was not a drinker. Nanao flashed him a look from under her glasses, he couldn't identify it.

"I would never do it," he clarified "we were sparing and came up in a draw and for the life of me, I couldn't drop my blade – you wouldn't know this, but Muguruma-taichou and I have a brief history together, he was my inspiration for becoming a shinigami, but today ... I had no faith in him."

Nanao seemed to contemplate this for a long moment.

"I suppose it's not uncommon," She said at length, but couldn't seem to offer much more. "I think maybe Muguruma-taichou and you should invest more time in one another. You seem to be rather detached outside of work."

"I wouldn't know how to approach him." Hisagi said vaguely. "I practically worshiped the guy."

Matsumoto laughed at his side, having apparently heard it all, and lightly tapped his cheek.

"We all know Shuuhei-kun!" She grinned madly, and all the other occupants at the table turned to them.

"What?" Kira asked, confused by this disturbance.

"Shuuhei was reminiscing on his hero-worship of out dear ninth division taichou!" Rangiku supplied, throwing an arm around him. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Shuuhei could feel his cheeks burning.

"I was indebted to him!" Shuuhei defended.

"People indebted to other people don't go tattooing their mentor's _private, meaningful _tattoo on their face." Renji laughed. Hisagi glared pointedly at him.

"This coming from the man who tattooed the guard design of his sword to his forehead ... and _everywhere_ else." Now Renji was the one to look bashful, he grumbled into his cup as he brought it to his mouth.

"I think it's nice." Said Momo quietly, her fingers wrapped around her own cup, she was looking at the door – far away to her own captain, Shuuhei wasn't sure which one. "You have a special relationship with Muguruma-taichou." She knew nothing of the spar and Shuuhei wasn't about to be the one to inform her that the two of them didn't communicate outside of work. "My taichou smiles a lot." And then she drank deeply, satisfied that the statement was appropriate and explained whatever sentiment she'd been thinking about.

"That's because your taichou is infatuated with you." Said Kira, looking downcast. Momo pinked, her whole face and most of her neck coloring prettily. "My taichou wrote a song about me the other day and then sang it to our troops, it was horrible."

"All three of those taichous … They're all kind of weird." Rangiku put in happily, bouncing to sit between Nanao and Shuuhei, across from Momo and Kira.

"They're probably having trouble adjusting just as you all are." Nanao said wisely, adjusting her glasses, knocked askew in Rangiku's repositioning.

The group continued to drink until Nanao declared that she had to go collect her taichou and dragged a heavily intoxicated Rangiku behind her. Kira and Renji followed shortly after until Momo and he remained – Shuuhei having promised to keep an eye on the smaller girl.

"I do like him though!" Momo said defensively when the subject matter returned to their new captains. "He's very nice and quirky and our troops warmed up to him quick enough ... but we all did that with Aizen-taichou, too..." She stopped talking then and Shuuhei knew better to let her indulge in these thoughts.

"I like Muguruma-taichou, too." He stated lamely. Momo laughed, she was definitely drunk. Momo did _not _drink.

"Of course you do!" She said, "but I _really _like Hirako-taichou, he has the nicest, strangest reiatsu. And I want to be around him, but that's scary so I end up running away instead. Nanao-san is sure it is attraction ... and I think she may be right."

Hisagi had the decency to stop his jaw before it slammed into the table, he looked for the drunken haze that would tell him this was the alcohol talking, but her eyes were clearer than they had been in several hours.

"I," He began, and then feeling that her words said everything he felt more accurately than he could articulate them, stopped and said instead "I get that completely."

"Well! Yer certainly vocal tonight Momo!" Both fukutaichous whirled around to the new voice and to their equal amounts of mortification saw Shinji and Kensei walk in with a swirl of black and white. Momo's face got so red Shuuhei wondered briefly if she had simply stopped breathing and it had occurred due to lack of oxygen.

"Oh no." Momo squeaked, turning to Shuuhei for salvation. Hisagi took one look at his taichou's own surprised face, and decided he didn't want to stick around for the ramifications of his own admittance. He stood, helping Momo to her feet and bowed awkwardly to the both of them.

"I think we should go, the sake is getting to our heads." He said, but Hirako-taichou had laid a hand on Momo's shoulder in a grip that was meant to be less possessive than he knew it was.

"I'll get her home." He grinned, all his teeth showed – Hisagi thought it was kind of creepy. "Why don't you an' Kensei go get some tea or somethin'? Sober up." Hisagi knew an order when he heard one. Momo looked mortified, but straightened out her chin and spine and nodded; all business. Shuuhei only wished he could be so professional.

"Yes sir," He said, resigning, and dropped Momo's hand.

For his part, Kensei looked one half horrified and one half homicidal. Hisagi wondered what he'd done to elicit such emotions at the simple suggestion that the two spend time with one another, but he wasn't about to force the man anywhere near him, especially given the situation. Shuuhei followed Kensei into the dark night.

"I don't think Hirako-taichou was being serious," Hisagi said, attempting a half assed grin in the general direction of his captain. "I was heading back to the division anyway."

"Shinji's never serious." Kensei said, "but he wasn't joking either." Kensei looked at him briefly with something akin to unsettlement. "We need to talk anyway." Hisagi was pretty sure that it was an order to follow him, so stepped into line behind the man as they wove their way through Rukongai until they stopped at a dinky bar half shroud in light and with very few occupants. Shuuhei would have given anything to be anywhere else and wondered mildly is Momo was fairing any better.

"What's this place?" Hisagi asked.

"A dump," Kensei muttered, then added, "I know the owner."

Which Shuuhei learned moments later translated to _I am the owner_ as Kensei made a point of yelling at all the bartenders for the ramshackle building that had once been the best bar in Soul Society. They found a table in the back shortly thereafter.

"Alright kid, clearly we've got some issues." Kensei said, and Shuuhei felt the pull in his heart – this man he wanted so much to be like would never accept him. A moment later Kensei groaned and ran a hand over his face. "That's not how that was supposed to sound." He said.

"I could always transfer." Hisagi said lightly, it wasn't like he hadn't thought about it. As much as his captain tried, Hisagi could tell he was uneasy with his fukutaichou, aside from the sparring they did at Kensei insistence they spent very little time together, the man even went so far as to avoid the communications building altogether, which Hisagi knew was significant since Kensei had been the one to start that particular part of their division. Of course, Hisagi had joined the ninth division because of Kensei, had strived for everything he had because of this man, and he had no doubt the move would be horrible; he'd spend hours upon hours in a bar somewhere until his new taichou sent a squad member to make sure he wasn't dead. Hisagi knew himself well enough to know he'd never get over the ninth – they were family after all – but he knew the squad needed a new taichou more than they need him as a fukutaichou. If the ninth was home for Shuuhei, it was life itself for Kensei.

"Fuck kid, why would you even think of doing that?" Kensei asked, scratching his neck. Hisagi was startled enough to look the man directly in the eyes. He had nice eyes Shuuhei decided, but quickly squelched the thought. Hisagi was confident in his bisexuality, and it wasn't any big secret – but Kensei hadn't given any indication to his sexual preference and Shuuhei wasn't about to worsen a bad situation.

"You're obviously not very comfortable with me around ... and it is your squad. It's not like I haven't heard stories about your devotion to it." Shuuhei said, ashamed, but not withdrawing his eyes. Kensei seemed to visibly stiffen.

"You're not devoted to our squad?" He barked, offended. Shuuhei back peddled, though something in him swelled with the inclusion of the word 'our'.

"No! I am!" Hisagi defended "That's the point, with both of us uncomfortable, how is the squad going to get any better? We can't even be in the same room for that long. Doesn't that bother you?"

"'Course it does. I was waiting for you to warm up to me idiot. What do you think those fucking sparring matches were about? I don't wait up until the crack of dawn just to beat your ass into the ground for amusement. I was hoping we'd build some trust or something. Hell, even just getting you to talk to me is a pain in the ass." Kensei said. The man wasn't known for being soft, that was for sure.

"There was never much to say." Hisagi said softly, looking across the bar. "I was waiting for you to ask the questions but you never said anything."

"Look kid, if it's not obvious I'm probably going to miss it. I know Tousen was like a fucking hawk, especially for a blind guy, but that's never been my style. If you've got something to say I need to hear it. I can't be trying to figure out what the hell every sideways glance means."

Hisagi snorted, looking back at the man. Kensei grinned at the uncontrolled noise.

"It _was_ obvious." Hisagi said, tapping his cheek with his knuckle. Kensei scrutinized the number inked on his cheek there and then shrugged.

"I already asked around, you don't think I wanted the story?" He said, leaning back in his chair, relaxed considerably; he no longer looked uncomfortable. "I've been told I have the uncanny effect of creating companions out of castaways. To be honest, I never really got it until I became a vizard. You can't fend for yourself in a world like this – if you're alone anything can get to you. If you thought I was mad about the tattoo kid, you got it wrong. You know the only good thing about that whole mission? Some scrawny kid tried to fend off a hollow with a stick and I was there to save his puny ass. A thing like that keeps a man sane after a hundred years of hatred and betrayal are boiling in his bones." He grinned again, flicking the number on his cheek lightly. "Nah, I'm just glad you didn't die." Hisagi had the good sense to look bashful; a relief washed over him.

"I was never ashamed that I got it." Shuuhei said, "even if I was really young. I had a debt to pay forward."

"Sure you did. We all do." Kensei said, folding his arms over his chest, he studied Shuuhei for a moment. "So if you admire me so much why couldn't you drop your zanpakuto earlier?" He asked.

There was the question with no answer. Well, no answer Hisagi wanted to give. But if his captain was being honest and forth right (despite the fact that _no one_ in the Gotei 13 was that honest or willing to divulge information) he could at least return the favor.

"I don't trust you." Hisagi said quietly, adding: "I don't know you." If Shuuhei thought Kensei was going to get mad over the statement he was more than a little surprised when Kensei nodded, grinning again.

"Well hell, that can be fixed." He said easily. "A little time, a few more beatings. Just don't leave on me kid, that squad is as much yours as it is mine."

They sat in silence for several long minutes, during which Kensei's brow seemed to crease increasingly more.

"We still need to talk about that statement with Shinji's fukutaichou." He stated, and Shuuhei was surprised the man had brought it up at all – not expecting him to run away from it, not really, but mildly hoping he'd pretended he hadn't heard it. When Kensei saw Hisagi go ridged he sighed, rubbing his neck. "I told you, I don't do any of this beating around the bush shit ... was it true?"

"Yeah." Shuuhei said lightly, avoiding eye contact again he glanced toward the door, wanting to bolt but pinned under the eyes which were watching him so carefully.

* * *

"So yer getting dating advice now?" Shinji grinned, walking Momo back toward the fifth division.

"Nanao-san is always very logical." Momo sighed, blushing unnaturally and mortified. What she wouldn't give to just disappear.

"Kyoraku says similar things." Shinji said, placing his arm around her shoulder to keep her from bolting, her stance was all ready for it.

"Do you want to go on a date with yer taichou Momo?" He asked, grinning.

"No sir." Momo said solidly, which surprised Shinji. They stopped walking long enough for him to get a good long look at her.

"You said..." He drifted off. Pointing stupidly in the direction of the bar.

"It doesn't matter what I said Hirako-taichou. I won't do it."

"A challenge then." Shinji said, smiling he squeezed her to his side. "I'll win you over yet Momo-fukutaichou. After all, we spend nearly all our time together." His grin was huge and showed teeth Momo didn't even know existed, she blushed harder.

* * *

"Alright then." Kensei said, pushing his chair out, he stood. "We'll talk about it later. Let's go get something to drink, this place is a dump." He threw a look over his shoulder at Hisagi and the second stood up. They moved out into the streets. Hisagi glanced at the man before him, wheeling with gratitude and acceptance. Kensei was a good guy, blunt and brash – saying what there was to say forthright. Hisagi grinned foolishly behind the man. Not like Tousen, not secretive, not always on his toes. Maybe this was all good.

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_As requested by an anon on tumblr for KenShuu (and I added ShinHina because I could). Cross posted here. I swear guys, I ask for requests and you really don't need to send them in anonymously. ^^;_


	6. She's Good For You - IchiHime

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**She's Good For You**

_IchiHime_

_Summary: At the insistence of a close friend Ichigo works up the courage to finally ask out the bubbly waitress in the cafe across town; and he couldn't be any happier for it._

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The girl looked like a princess, serving coffee in the Run Around, a low end cafe to the east of his apartment building. She was gorgeous and too kind for a world like the one they lived in. She was also a friend of Rukia's. Her name, he learned, was Orihime, and that made perfect sense to him.

"How do you know her?" Ichigo asked skeptically, trailing behind his midget best friend – they were on their way back to the coffee shop as Rukia had explained that she was tired of hearing his 'bitching and moaning'.

"From high school. Orihime was my first friend in Japan, she's easy to get along with." Rukia stated simply, flashing him a smirk because she knew what Ichigo had been reluctant to admit to himself since he first met the grey-eyed beauty two months ago. "Just ask her out already, I'm sick of listening to you." Ichigo glared at her openly, but made no comment.

The rest of the walk was mostly silent.

Ichigo couldn't remember when exactly he'd met Rukia, it was some time during college – she'd come to the flourishing city of Tokyo in her late teens, the sister of some corporate mogul, and when enough scholarships had put him in the limelight to attend college in the very same city they'd eventually come into contact with one another ... if he remembered it right it was the kind of contact he'd be glad to never have again. The kind that put his nether region into direct communication with her boot, and it had fucking sucked.

"Strawberry," her fist came down onto the top of his head, he was quiet sure how – she wasn't exactly tall enough to reach it. "go say hi." And then she was pointing in the direction of Orihime and the cafe. He cleared his throat, squared his shoulders and nodded absently. Rukia flashed him a genuine smile, _good luck_, and then turned heel and headed down the street, toward her own apartment complex.

Ichigo looked into the large windows of the cafe for several minutes, watching her move between tables and smile and bounce around. She was so lively, her smile infectious and all of her costumers smiled and laughed with her antics. He was smiling, too – a rare thing, a thing his sisters and friends had said was too good to hide as often as he did. She looked up then, spotting him in the snow and blushed prettily before a larger grin broke out on her face and she waved animatedly at him. Ichigo hesitated, then raised his own hand to wave back, embarrassed at having been caught but refusing to let that little fact be known. Her grin slipped easily into the small smile and softening features of an expression Ichigo knew to be contentment and she waved him in with the same hand.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She said when the door chime announced his entrance.

"Inoue." He responded, by way of greeting. She blushed again, watching him in a twitchy, nervous, almost forgetful manner. He'd have given anything to know what she was thinking at that moment because she certainly wasn't saying it. He rubbed his neck when a minute had passed, which seemed to distract her from her thoughts.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, laughing a little. "Let me get you a table!"

"No, no!" Ichigo exclaimed, waving his hand. "I actually came to see you..."

"Me?" She squeaked, and it was adorable how flustered she seemed. Ichigo chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, I was wondering ... if maybe you'd ah ... like to go out sometime. Maybe tomorrow?" He was willing himself to _not_ blush, beating it back with thoughts of Rukia mocking him, and that worked to keep it suppressed. For her part, Orihime didn't _look _like she was going to reject him, but she was a really sweet girl and after a minute had passed he began to think that she was maybe just trying to figure out a way to say no without hurting him, it seemed like something she would do for him. To his unending relief her eyes lit up shortly thereafter and she beamed, flailing her arms and splashing the coffee in the pot she'd been holding on his shirt – lucky him it wasn't particularly hot, and he didn't particularly care for the shirt as much as her reaction.

"Oh no!" Orihime blushed, setting the pot down on the nearest table and grabbing the napkin out of her apron, she worked vehemently to remove the coffee even as it soaked on through onto his chest. He chuckled and blushed as she dabbed at his abdomen.

"So was that a yes?" He smirked. Orihime stopped briefly, eyebrows furrowed with concentration as she looked up at him.

"Of course! I'd love to go on a date with you." She smiled sincerely and then went back to his shirt, he caught the tall tale sign of a blush rising even as she ducked her face away from his eyes and onto his shirt. "I'm _really _sorry."

"I'm not." He said, and took a moment to enjoy the girl in-front of him.

* * *

"So it went well?" Rukia asked, tipping back in her bar stool, she shot him a glance over her glass to analyze his idiotic grin and goofy detachment from society, reality, and her blatant mockery of his love-sickness.

"We've got a date tomorrow night." Ichigo grinned, scratching his neck and staring up at the ceiling rafters. Rukia snorted into her glass and then took a sip, she looked at him seriously, smiling.

"I'm glad; she's good for you." Rukia said. Ichigo looked at her then, caught off guard by the honesty of her tone. "The boy who wants to protect everyone, and the girl who wants to heal everyone's pasts. You two come straight out of some epic romance manga." She smirked, and then downed her drink, ordering the both of them another.

Ichigo chuckled, happy and lightweight and itching for tomorrow to come quicker – it was a nice feeling, the kind he hadn't had since he was a kid.

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_IchiHime, as requested by **ShiroFlame** on Tumblr. Enjoy! Also, some reviews would be lovely … really. On any of these chapters. I'm not picky enough to care? :') Even one word would be nice. ^^;_


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